What does "patter" mean?
A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.
Patter
/ˈpæt.ə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.
- Grammar: patter is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: spiel, act, act as foil, acting.
- Useful contrasts: candid speech, deliberate talk, measured speech.
- Usage evidence: The pitter patter of the rain on the roof kept me from falling asleep.
How to use "patter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "patter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "patter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "patter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "patter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "patter" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "spiel" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "patter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.
"I could hear the patter of mice running about in the dark."
- 2 Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer or a sports commentator. countable, uncountable
"This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter."
- 3 One who pats.
"I used to hate head patters, and I have realized that all children dislike being patted on the head."
- 4 plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson) wordnet
- 5 a quick succession of light rapid sounds wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.
"The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls."
- 2 To speak glibly and rapidly, as does an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
"He showed a little of the pride of art in describing the management of his business, but he would not hear that he “pattered:” he talked to his customers, he declared, as any draper, who knew his business well, might talk to his."
- 3 make light, rapid and repeated sounds wordnet
- 4 To spatter; to sprinkle.
"1819 (published in 1835) Joseph Rodman Drake, The Culprit Fay Patter the water about the boat."
- 5 To repeat the Lord's Prayer. intransitive, obsolete
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 rain gently wordnet
- 7 To pray. intransitive, obsolete
- 8 To repeat hurriedly; to mutter. obsolete, transitive
Antonyms
Example
"The pitter patter of the rain on the roof kept me from falling asleep."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "patter"?
Common synonyms include: spiel, act, act as foil, acting, appear, argot.
How do you use "patter" in a sentence?
The pitter patter of the rain on the roof kept me from falling asleep.
How do you pronounce "patter"?
Pronounced /ˈpæt.ə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
1610s, pat + -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”), of (onomatopoeia) origin.
Etymology 2
Noun is from Middle English pater, verb is from Middle English pateren. Noun attested 1758, originally referring to the cant of thieves and beggers.
Etymology 3
From pat + -er (“agent”).